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Spicy Red Pepper Hummus

This spicy red pepper hummus is so easy and delicious you will never buy it pre-made again.

If you ask any of my friends, they would tell you how much I enjoy entertaining. I love cooking for a picnic at the Hollywood Bowl, creating small dinner parties for friends, even making a dish to take to a potluck. I realize not everybody shares my passion for cooking and sharing this way so if that is you, I have some great news.

Bring it! is full of easy and delicious recipes which, with a little planning, will keep the stress away from the party. In addition, and one of my favorite things about this book is the dishes are designed to come together easily, travel beautifully, and delight even the pickiest of palettes.

In this book, you will learn how to transport and store food, how to make dishes that can safely sit out at room temperatures as well as endless helpful tips and clever shortcuts.

As an example, Ali labels each recipe with these 3 considerations;

FRIDGE TO TABLE – recipes that can be served at any temperature

DAY AHEAD – recipes you can make in advance, but not required

30 MINUTE OR LESS – recipes that can be made quickly

Recipe examples:

I recently met Ali Rosen at Melissa’s Produce media luncheon and here are a few dishes we sampled.

Ali’s recipe for deviled eggs is the classic version with the surprise element of shrimp, which added a delicate umami that wouldn’t have occurred to me. The combination made for a creamy, tangy, buttery morsels with a hint of sweetness that, you’ll see, will win everyone’s heart.

Today’s Recipe: Spicy Red Pepper Hummus

And then there was that potluck I was invited to, where the host asked me to bring an appetizer, so I made Ali’s hummus, which has a bright twist.

I am always shocked when people buy hummus. It couldn’t be easier to make and it is so much more flavorful when you make it yourself. What really makes Ali’s special is grilling the red pepper, something you can do right on your gas stove, or under the broiler.

Meanwhile, you can throw the rest of the ingredients into a food processor, give it a whirl and the base is done. Depending on how creamy you like your hummus you can add more liquids such as lemon juice, olive oil, or liquid from the precooked chickpeas. Fold in the diced peppers and you are ready to go. I like to drizzle with olive oil and serve with pita chips or Persian cucumbers.

Spicy Red Pepper Hummus

The red pepper gives this hummus visual appeal and the cayenne kicks it up a notch making this recipe a winner.

Servings4

AuthorAli Rosen

Ingredients

1red bell pepper

1can16-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1lemonjuiced

2tablespoonstahini

3garlic clovesminced

1/2teaspoonsalt

1/4teaspoonwhite pepper

1/2teaspooncoriander

1/4teaspooncumin

1/4teaspooncayenne

2tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

If you have a gas stove, turn a stovetop burner on high heat or turn on the broiler. An outdoor grill also works well.

Use tongs to place the red pepper directly on or under the flame, and cook for minutes on each side, approximately 8 minutes or until the pepper looks almost completely charred. Set aside to cool.

Drain the chickpeas but save 1/8th cup of the liquid from the can. Combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and oil in a food processor or blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Make sure to take the time to scrape the inside of the canister a few times as you blend.

When the red pepper has cooled, scrape off the majority of the charred skin (as much as you can), core, seed, and dice the pepper, and fold into the hummus until smooth.

Here are Ali’s tips for her recipe of Spicy Red Pepper Hummus.

– HOW TO BRING IT –

This dip can be made up to a week ahead as long as it is stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just give it a small stir before you put it out. I recommend serving it with pita bread or chips.

– SUBSTITUTIONS –

A lot of substitutes will work fine in this dish. Making the hummus base or the roasted red peppers from scratch is great, but you’ll closely approximate the recipe if you buy either the hummus or roasted red pepper pre-made. The point here is to put a spin on your basic hummus with some texture and spice. Just blend the garlic, coriander, cumin, lemon, and red pepper into pre-made plain hummus, and you’ ll be all set. Roasted red bell peppers are easily purchased: substitute 3/4 cup of drained, diced jarred peppers. You won’t have quite the same texture but you will still get a lot of the red pepper flavor.

If you can’t find tahini you still could make this dish: while it adds a lot and I would encourage you to try and find it, in a pinch you can just add an extra tablespoon of olive oil. Just keep in mind that it won’t come out quite the same. And if you don’t want any spice, simply omit the cayenne.

Fun fact:

The word pot-luck first appears in the 16th c. and is said to mean “food provided for an unexpected or uninvited guest, basically – the luck of the pot.” The modern interpretation of this word is a “communal meal, where guests bring their own food,” and it most likely originated in the 1930s during the Depression when guests shared the expense of a meal.

Reader Interactions

Comments

This appetizer sounds delicious and you’ve plated it just beautifully, as always! I agree, homemade hummus is so easy to make and the red peppers and cayenne sound like wonderful additions perfect for a potluck!